The disclosed embodiments relate to a medical device. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to a guide wire used as a guide for inserting a catheter into a lumen in the body such as a blood vessel or a ureter, and for inserting an indwelling device into a site of an aneurysm formed in a blood vessel.
A guide wire used as a guide for inserting a catheter into a lumen in the body and for inserting an indwelling device into a site of an aneurysm formed in a blood vessel generally comprises a core shaft, a coil body covering a distal end part of the core shaft, a distal end joining portion joining a distal end of the core shaft to a distal end of the coil body, and a proximal end joining portion joining the core shaft to a proximal end of the coil body.
For example, US 2007/0185415 describes a guide wire comprising a core wire (hereafter referred to as a core shaft), a coil body covering a distal end part of the core shaft, and a proximal end joining portion joining a distal end of the core shaft to a proximal end of the coil body. A distal end joining portion is joined to a distal end of the coil body (see, for example, FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B of US 2007/0185415).
In order to insert a catheter into a patient's body, for example, an operator inserts the guide wire described in US 2007/0185415 into the patient's body so that it advances toward a narrowed segment or the like in the patient's body, and then penetrates the narrowed segment. However, the guide wire may become stuck at the narrowed segment when the operator tries to penetrate the narrowed segment with the guide wire. If that happens, the operator will try to push, pull, or rotate a connector fixed at a proximal end part of the guide wire to release the guide wire from the narrowed segment.
However, in the case of a conventional guide wire, the distal end joining portion of the guide wire may detach from the coil body when the operator tries to push, pull, or rotate the stuck guide wire. If the distal end joining portion detaches from the coil body, the detached distal end joining portion may be left in the patient's body, complicating any subsequent treatment.